Defining Creativity

By CRAIG KUNCE

So... what exactly is creativity?

The general consensus is that creativity is the creation of something truly original. Now this can leave a lot of room for interpretation, so let’s look at it a little deeper. Many people have shared their opinions on what creativity is, and Dr. Leslie Wilson (2007) has complied several on her Web site.

“You cannot use up creativity. The more you use the more you have.” -Maya Angelou.

Creativity is marked by the ability or power to create–to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new. -Webster’s Dictionary.

“The emergence of a novel, relational product, growing out of the uniqueness of the individual.” -Carl Rodgers (psychologist an writer).

“The occurrence of a composition which is both new and valuable.” -Henry Miller (writer).

“The ability to make new combinations of social worth.” -John Haefele (CEO and entrepreneur).